I admit my blogging has been off its game and my drive to push them out has been seriously lacking. I didn’t want to force it, I want them to come from the heart and be something I’m proud to reflect on later in life.
I’ve been praying that God gives me the desire to blog more, I know people at home are eagerly waiting to hear from me.
Our ministry this month looks very cool. We walk to a house a few blocks down from 10am to 4pm 5-6 days a week. We start EVERY MORNING by spending one hour in worship. Then immediately one hour in “Amad” time. (A special, sacred time for resting in the Lords presence.) Then at noon we eat our PB&Js, physically put on the armor of God and head to ministry.
This month we are helping teach English to people ages 18-65.
Sunday’s we split into our teams of 7 and go to different churches to do different things. For example, today me and my team got on a bus about 7am and rode an hour and a half out to another city where we then walked 5 miles to a church. Along the way we stopped by a shelter that provides support for families who lost their homes in the earthquake. They have about 100 people living in 15-20 small homes made from tin and metal rods. We were welcomed in with hot lentil soup and water to wash our feet.
We had to wash our feet because during that 5 mile walk there was no pavement. Only mud. Not dirt- MUD. Like feet sinking in 3-6 inches type mud. ..It was hilarious! We eventually took our shoes off and walked barefoot for a few miles..if you were there, you would’ve done the same.
This was probably the highlight of my day.
Morgan stopping and asking “What are we doing?!” As we laugh so hard we think we’re going insane. Who travels miles in the mud in the middle of farm lands in Nepal?! WORLD RACERS DO!
After we washed our feet, we sat inside a small building. It was a new shelter made to hold all 100 people for their church service.
If we can fit 33 people in a bus (by bus I mean van), then they can fit 100 in that room. Sure of it.
In that room I had the best talk with a women who was a victim of the quake. She happened to be 4 hours away from her home and when the earthquake shattered her home to pieces. She told me with her eyes so sincere. “No ones home stood the shake.”
I could tell her heart broke equally for her neighbors loss as it did for her own.
In her home lived her husband and 10 year old son.
She did not hear from them for 15 days.
15 days of deadly silence. No way for communication and roads so destroyed that even now (3 months later) there is still no safe way for her to get home.
She shared with us the horror of the three days after the earthquake. Their hospital collapsed, homes fell and the mountains caved in. For three days she said there were people bleeding, crying for help that never came because no one could reach them. Access roads to and from had crumbled. Due to major mud slides causing roads and bridges to fall (still to this day), people from that town will not be able to return for yet another 2-3 months.
she said once buildings started falling you couldn’t see anything but clouds of dust. The dust was so thick people bled from their nose because they weren’t able to breathe in any oxygen. Many died within the three days simply because there was no one to help them. I will not share all the details she gave, for it is not why I’m sharing.
By the grace of our father, her son and husband are alive and well. Later we had the pleasure of meeting Peter, her son.
Most of the time it’s difficult to minister to people of poverty or devastation because you have this ugly barrier that makes it so uncomfortable to relate to them. Like trying to comfort a cancer patient who you just met.
Today for me, it was different. I don’t know if it was the crazy traveling that changed my mood or simply the warmth and sincerity I felt from her. The tough questions were asked. The silence was graceful. The time we spent was perfect, not forced or rushed.
Accepting the truths about the devastation was sickening. I questioned my faith.. Then beautifully I thought, “God, you’re breaking my heart for what breaks yours.” …Then the doubt melted into compassion. Pure compassion.
After this visit she joined us for the last of the walk (aka- muddy hike) to the other church where I shared a testimony of what God has been doing in my life the last couple days.
It was spontaneous and strrraight from the spirit! Loved it.
& I am SO proud of how much growth I have seen in my team. God is doing amazing things within their hearts and I’m so privileged to be doing life with them and witnessing it all!
Ps- My Amad time, (undivided time of resting in His presence) has been a growth experience for my Holy Spirit. I am proud- not ashamed to admit that just three days ago I had the best prayer time I have had since being on the race. I was sitting in the garden outside our ministry home. Eyes open and closed, I prayed so freely. Lifted my hands, whispered said “Yes Jesus” after sentences I knew where not from me but from the spirit.
I prayed prayers I was afraid to pray and felt delivered because I knew I was sitting in the presence of God and he was speaking truth over me and through me. Things about money, body image and self control.
Lord knows I’ve been asking for more. More ways to be intentional with my servants heart. I’m okay serving others but give me a chance to change the way I treat myself.. YA RIGHT. No thanks, I’m comfortable in my sins.
..And that’s when my Amad time became so meaningful.
I prayed for selfish desires to be taken away.
I repented because part of me dreaded the idea of moving on.
& I rejoiced because I believed my prayers were going to change my life.
Man, God is good, isn’t he?
